Decision details

Members received the report of the Monitoring Officer giving details of the resignation of Mr Robert Tye, one of the Council’s three appointed Independent Persons (IPs), with effect from 8 August 2019. 

The Council took the decision in 2016 to increase the number of IPs from two to three to provide increased resilience and an opportunity for the third IP to work alongside Mrs Susan Fellows and Mrs Jan Gray whose terms of office was due to expire in 2021.  The existing IPs’ terms of office were not renewable under the terms of the Localism Act as both would have served eight years by July 2021.  Having a restricted tenure ensured that the judgment and independence of the IPs was not compromised by a long period of involvement in a single authority.

In order to provide a small hand-over period, of some 18 months to maintain resilience and ensure a level of continuity and institutional memory, it was recommended by the Monitoring Officer that the Council proceeded immediately to recruit a third IP and the report set out the proposed arrangements for the recruitment.

The proposed Role Description and Person Specification was also attached to the report for Members’ information.  It was hoped that this would help attract candidates who were willing and able to commit to the expectations of the role.  Members requested and agreed that ‘Personal Integrity’ which was listed as one of the Personal Qualities detailed in the Person Specification, be amended to ‘Integrity’.

It was proposed that an advert for one Independent Person be placed on the Council’s website and highlighted through social media messages and MyAlerts, inviting applications with a closing date of Friday 18 October 2019.  The vacancy would also be notified to all Councillors and all Parish and Town Councils within the Rother area.  It was also requested and agreed that a press release be given detailing the opportunity to Rother residents.

The interview panel would comprise of the Monitoring Officer, the Chairman of the Audit and Standards Committee and an Executive Director.  It was recommended and agreed that ‘or a nominated substitute’ be added to the recommendation if the Chairman of the Committee was unavailable.  The appointment would be recommended to the Committee at the next meeting scheduled for 9 December, for onward recommendation to Council.

It was also reported to Members that Councillor Stainsby would be resigning with effect from 30 September 2019 from the Committee as one of the two appointed Parish/Town Council representatives.  Rother Association of Local Councils (RALC) would therefore nominate and appoint a replacement Parish/Town Councillor to join the Audit and Standards Committee in due course.

RESOLVED:  That:

1)         the resignation of Mr Robert Tye with effect from Thursday 8 August 2019 be noted;

2)         the proposed arrangements for the recruitment of one Independent Person for a term of four years be approved;

3)         an Interview Panel be appointed comprising the Monitoring Officer, the Chairman of the Audit and Standards Committee, or a nominated substitute, and an Executive Director; and

4)         the proposed appointee be recommended to the Committees’ next meeting on 9 December for onward recommendation to Council on 16 December 2019.